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The Corpus Christi navigation channel, in southern Texas, was closed after a vehicle fell into the water, as reported by the U.S. Coast Guard after halting traffic on this key route for the country's energy shipments.
A man accidentally drove into the water while maneuvering on the beach on the morning of Wednesday, July 1, according to local media outlet Port Aransas South Jetty on Facebook, citing police sources who planned to remove a truck from the scene.
By Wednesday afternoon, no movement of tankers carrying crude oil, refined petroleum products, or liquefied natural gas (LNG) was recorded through the channel, according to LSEG maritime tracking data.
At least 11 oil tankers were docked at different points near Corpus Christi and Ingleside along the coast, while another 11 remained in the anchorage area awaiting.
Currently, the local port facility handles nearly half of all U.S. crude oil exports and is also the main departure point for LNG shipments.
Emergency teams were working to recover the vehicle, the Coast Guard detailed, adding that it expects the channel to reopen in the short term.
For its part, the Port of Corpus Christi, one of the country's largest export hubs for petroleum products, especially crude oil, remained open.
Several major refineries operate in and around the Corpus Christi area, processing crude oil into gasoline, diesel, and other fuels, much of which is subsequently exported through the channel.
The local port facility is the main exporter of crude oil produced in the most important shale basin in the United States, which extends across Texas and New Mexico. It also transports crude oil from the Eagle Ford shale region in South Texas and manages significant volumes of liquefied natural gas.
